Best Gravity Forms Export Plugins in 2026: A Practical Comparison
Gravity Forms' built-in export does the basics, but if you need scheduling, multi-form workbooks, Google Sheets sync, or formatted outputs, you need a dedicated export plugin. We compared the main options — including our own — so you can make an informed choice based on your actual workflow.
Disclosure: We make Multi-Export for Gravity Forms. We've done our best to present an honest, factual comparison. Where competitors have advantages, we say so explicitly.
The Contenders
There are three practical options for exporting Gravity Forms entries in 2026. Other solutions exist (custom code via the GF API, GravityView with export extensions, Zapier-based workarounds), but these three cover the vast majority of use cases:
- Built-in Gravity Forms Export — included free with every Gravity Forms license
- GravityExport by GravityKit — the established third-party option, starting at $99/year
- Multi-Export for Gravity Forms by Rocket Stack — our newer entry, with a free tier and paid plans from $9.99/month
Each has distinct strengths. The right choice depends on whether your priority is simplicity, storage integrations, or automation.
Built-in Gravity Forms Export
Every Gravity Forms license includes a basic export tool under Forms → Import/Export → Export Entries. Select a form, choose fields, set a date range, and download a CSV file.
What it does well
It's free, it's always available, it requires no additional plugins, and it handles one-off data pulls reliably. For sites that export data a few times per month with no specific formatting requirements, it's perfectly adequate. The interface is simple — you're never confused about what it does.
What it doesn't do
The built-in export has a long list of things it doesn't support: no Excel output (CSV only), no scheduling, no email delivery, no multi-form exports, no field reordering (fields export in form order only), no custom column labels, no conditional filtering beyond dates, no header styling, and no Google Sheets integration. Every export is a manual download that requires WordPress admin access.
The CSV output also has occasional encoding issues with special characters, which means stakeholders who open the file in Excel may see garbled text in name fields with accented characters, non-Latin scripts, or emoji.
Best for
Sites with simple, infrequent export needs. If you download a CSV once or twice a month for your own records and don't need to share it with anyone or automate the process, the built-in tool is the right choice. No reason to install another plugin.
GravityExport by GravityKit
GravityExport is the most established dedicated export plugin for Gravity Forms. It's part of GravityKit's suite of Gravity Forms add-ons (which also includes GravityView, GravityCalendar, and others) and has been on the market for several years with a large, established user base.
What it does well
GravityExport supports Excel (.xlsx), CSV, and PDF exports with conditional entry filtering, custom column selection, and secure download links you can share with specific users. It supports multi-sheet Excel workbooks when exporting from forms with List fields.
Where GravityExport uniquely shines is storage integrations. It's the only Gravity Forms export plugin that supports:
- Dropbox sync — exports are automatically saved to a Dropbox folder
- SFTP/FTP upload — exports push directly to a remote server
- Local server storage — exports save to a directory on your web server
If your workflow requires automatic file delivery to Dropbox, an SFTP server, or a specific server directory, GravityExport is currently the only plugin-based solution. This is a meaningful advantage for organizations that have existing file-based data pipelines.
GravityExport also benefits from maturity. Years of production use across thousands of sites means edge cases have been encountered and addressed. Documentation is extensive, and there's a large community of users who have written about their configurations.
What it doesn't do
The significant gap is automation and data transformation. GravityExport does not offer:
- Scheduled exports (no daily/weekly/monthly automation)
- Google Sheets integration
- Computed columns or formula builders
- Conditional columns (IF/ELSE logic)
- Webhooks
- Merge mode (append to existing exports)
- Saved export presets
- Conditional formatting
You can create download links and attach exports to Gravity Forms notification emails, but there's no scheduling engine that generates and delivers exports on a recurring basis without manual intervention.
Field management is also more limited — basic field selection without drag-and-drop reordering, and custom column labels require code hooks rather than a UI setting.
Pricing
GravityExport as a standalone plugin costs $99/year. GravityKit's All Access bundle (11 plugins including GravityView) costs $264/year. There's a free "Lite" version with basic CSV export. No lifetime license option — annual renewal only.
Best for
Organizations that need Dropbox, SFTP, or server-side file storage. If your data pipeline depends on files arriving in a specific directory or Dropbox folder, GravityExport is the right choice. Also a solid option if you're already using other GravityKit plugins and want the bundle discount.
Multi-Export for Gravity Forms
Multi-Export is our plugin, launched in March 2026. It was designed specifically to fill the automation and data transformation gaps in existing export solutions.
What it does well
Multi-Export's core differentiators are centered on automation and data transformation:
- Scheduled exports — fully automated daily, weekly, or monthly export generation
- Email delivery — completed exports email directly to stakeholders
- Google Sheets live sync — entries push to a Google Sheet automatically
- Webhooks — POST export data to any endpoint (Zapier, Make, custom APIs)
- Computed columns — visual formula builder for calculated fields
- Conditional columns — IF/ELSE logic for dynamic values
- Merge mode — append new entries to existing exports for cumulative logs
- Drag-and-drop field management — reorder and rename columns visually
- Saved presets — configure once, reuse across schedules
- Conditional formatting — color-coding and visual rules applied at export time
- Export history — log of all generated exports with re-download
The plugin also includes a free tier (2 forms, core export features) with no time limit, and paid plans offer monthly billing, annual billing, and lifetime licenses.
What it doesn't do
Multi-Export does not support Dropbox, SFTP, FTP, or local server storage. If your workflow depends on files landing in a specific directory or cloud storage folder, this is a real limitation. Webhook integration can partially bridge this gap (you could build a Zapier workflow that receives the webhook and saves to Dropbox), but it's not the same as native integration.
As a newer plugin (launched 2026), Multi-Export has a smaller user base and less community documentation than GravityExport. While it's been thoroughly tested, it doesn't have the same years of production hardening across thousands of diverse WordPress configurations.
Pricing
Free — core features, 2 forms. Personal — $9.99/month or $79/year. Business — $14.99/month or $149.99/year (adds scheduling, Google Sheets, webhooks). Agency — $24.99/month or $249/year (adds computed columns, white-label, multisite). Lifetime licenses available on all paid plans.
Best for
Anyone who needs recurring automated exports, Google Sheets integration, or data transformation (computed/conditional columns). If your workflow involves regular report delivery to stakeholders via email, live spreadsheet dashboards, or webhook-based automation, Multi-Export was built for these exact use cases.
Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Built-in | GravityExport | Multi-Export |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSV export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Excel export (.xlsx) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF export | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-form workbooks | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional entry filtering | Date only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag-and-drop field reorder | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom column labels (UI) | ✗ | Via hooks | ✓ |
| Scheduled exports | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email delivery | ✗ | Notification only | ✓ |
| Google Sheets sync | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Computed columns | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Agency |
| Conditional columns | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Agency |
| Merge mode | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional formatting | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Saved presets | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export history log | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dropbox integration | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| SFTP/FTP upload | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Local server storage | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| White-label | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Agency |
| Free tier | ✓ (included) | ✓ (Lite) | ✓ (2 forms) |
| Lifetime license | N/A | ✗ | ✓ |
| Starting price | Included | $99/yr | $9.99/mo |
Pricing Breakdown
Annual cost comparison (single site)
Built-in export: $0 — included with your Gravity Forms license ($59–$259/year depending on GF plan).
GravityExport: $99/year for the standalone plugin. $264/year for GravityKit All Access (11 plugins). No monthly option, no lifetime option.
Multi-Export Personal: $79/year or $9.99/month. Includes all core features: Excel/CSV/PDF, multi-form workbooks, drag-and-drop, conditional filtering, custom labels, export history.
Multi-Export Business: $149.99/year or $14.99/month. Adds scheduled exports, email delivery, Google Sheets, webhooks, merge mode, conditional formatting, saved presets.
Multi-Export Agency: $249/year or $24.99/month. Adds computed columns, conditional columns, multisite support, white-label branding, priority support.
The Business plan — the tier most comparable to GravityExport's feature set plus scheduling — costs $149.99/year vs. GravityExport's $99/year. The $50 difference buys you scheduled automation, Google Sheets, webhooks, and merge mode — features GravityExport doesn't offer at any price. If you value your time at more than $1/hour, the scheduling automation alone pays for the difference in weeks.
Which One Fits Your Workflow?
Choose the built-in export if...
You need occasional CSV downloads for your own records, don't need formatting or automation, and want to keep your plugin count low. If you export data less than once a week and are the only person who needs it, the built-in tool is sufficient.
Choose GravityExport if...
You need Dropbox sync, SFTP uploads, or local server storage. These are unique capabilities no other export plugin offers. Also a strong choice if you're already invested in the GravityKit ecosystem and want the bundle value. If your data pipeline is file-based (exports land in a shared folder that other systems read), GravityExport is the right tool.
Choose Multi-Export if...
You need scheduled automated exports, Google Sheets integration, email delivery, webhooks, computed columns, or any combination of automation and data transformation. If stakeholders expect regular reports in their inbox without anyone logging into WordPress, or if you want a live Google Sheet dashboard of form entries, Multi-Export was purpose-built for these workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both GravityExport and Multi-Export on the same site?
Yes. They operate independently and don't conflict with each other. Some users run GravityExport for its Dropbox/SFTP features and Multi-Export for scheduling and Google Sheets — using each plugin for its strengths.
Does Multi-Export work with Gravity Forms 2.8 and 2.9?
Yes. Multi-Export supports Gravity Forms 2.7 and above, and is tested against the latest 2.9.x release. WordPress 6.0+ is required.
Can I try Multi-Export before paying?
Yes — the free plan includes core export features (Excel, CSV, PDF, drag-and-drop, filtering) for up to 2 forms with no time limit and no credit card required. You can upgrade to a paid plan anytime to unlock scheduling and advanced features.
What happens if I cancel my subscription?
Your current billing period remains active until expiration. After that, you lose access to premium features and updates, but the plugin continues to function at the free-tier level. Your export presets and history are preserved.
Does GravityExport offer scheduled exports?
As of March 2026, GravityExport does not include a scheduling engine. You can generate exports manually or attach them to Gravity Forms notification emails, but there's no way to schedule recurring automated exports.
Ready to try Multi-Export? Start with the free plan — core features for 2 forms, no credit card required. See the full feature comparison for an even more detailed breakdown.
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